Preventing food poisoning during holidays

Pay attention to how items are prepared

PORTSMOUTH — A big part of any holiday celebration is the food, and whether it is turkey, salads, pastries or breads, the way food is prepared and handled can make the difference between a great day or the start of a very nasty illness.

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By Karen Dandurant

seacoastonline.com

By Karen Dandurant

Posted Nov. 24, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By Karen Dandurant

Posted Nov. 24, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

PORTSMOUTH — A big part of any holiday celebration is the food, and whether it is turkey, salads, pastries or breads, the way food is prepared and handled can make the difference between a great day or the start of a very nasty illness.

Anyone who has ever suffered from food poisoning knows it is unpleasant and while people will usually recover from it on their own, for a while dying may seem slightly preferable to the nearly unbearable malady.

Food poisoning occurs when a person ingests something tainted by bacteria or virus, either because it was tainted when purchased or the preparation and/or handling of the food exposed it to pathogens.

Sources of food poisoning can be meat or poultry that comes in contact with bacteria from the intestines of the animal as it's processed.

Pathogens can come from water used in growing or shipping food that may be contaminated with animal or human waste. Food handled in an unsafe way or utensils that are not cleaned properly can be a contamination source. Another factor is raw or undercooked food.

There are many types of food poisoning bugs, with names such as E-coli, salmonella, campylobacter enteritis, cholera, staphylococcus aureas and shigella. The resulting illnesses are as nasty as the bugs sound and usually include a bout with severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Most cases will clear up on their own without medical intervention, said Dr. Kristen Lee, an infectious disease specialist at Exeter Hospital.

"Food poisoning is a gastrointestinal illness caused by eating food tainted with some type of microbe," Lee said. "It could be bacterial, viral or protozoa. It's violent and definitely not fun."

Lee said food poisoning affects about 48 million people per year in this country.

The symptoms of food poisoning closely resemble those of other diseases, including the flu and noroviruses. Determining the difference involves taking a food history from the patient.

"We ask for a food ingestion history for the week prior to the onset of symptoms," Lee said. "The person may remember something they ate that seemed a bit off and that might be the culprit. A lot of this will be viral in nature so treatment is more supportive than the use of antibiotics. We might give an anti-emetic for nausea and the person should take care not to get dehydrated."

Identifying the contaminating agent depends largely on the incubation period. Most people think food poisoning strikes within hours of eating a tainted food. In some cases that is true, but in others, the onset of the illness could take up to one week.

"Staph and bacillus have a rapid onset," Lee said. "It will go right through the system. E-Coli can last about 24 hours. But others like salmonella and shigella act by invading the epithelium (cells) of the gastrointestinal tract and could take a week to show up."

In some cases, medical treatment is advised. Lee said if a patient is vomiting blood, or if they have a high fever, a visit to the doctor is in order.

Women who are high risk because they are pregnant and people whose immune system is compromised should also seek medical attention.

Unfortunately, in most cases, suffering through the illness is the best option. Lee advises fluid as tolerated, and when adding food, to do so cautiously.

"Most people can duke it out and they will be fine, after a while," Lee said. "We recommend a diet like the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce and dry toast) at first."

"Hand washing is vital," Lee said. "Also, wash utensils carefully. That includes knives and cutting boards, which should be thoroughly cleaned between the preparation of different foods to avoid cross contamination."

Follow steps to safely defrost food, such as never defrosting the turkey overnight on a counter.